The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-19
THE KASHA MURDER.
GUsTAvE MILLER ON TRIAL ON THE
CHARGE OF MURDER.
Conclusion of the Evidence.-The Argu-
ments.--The Verdict.

Dr. FLOYD CLENDENIN said Am phy-
sician and county coroner Live at La
Sale. Was called on Saturday, June IL,
In the forenoon, 70 hold an Inquest on the
body of Frances Kashs II was in an old
house on 9Th street In La Sale. The body
lay on table or trestle. The arms and
limbs were partially bent at the joints.
afterwards saw the body at the house of
the girls parents whittier 1t had been re-
moved on Sunday, the 12th, and Monday,
the 18th. Held post mortem; Dr. Zeis.
Ing and the two Drs. Burns of La Sale,
and Dr. Hathaway and another doctor made
the examination. A few other persons
were present The body was packed In
ice. We laid II on table and removed
the top of the skull. On the exterior of
the head were two cuts at the top and a
bruise. He described the cuts as others
had previously. A skull was exhibited to
the jury and the places of the cuts pointed
out. The marks on the face also were des
crlbed; abruise above the high bone, run
ming forward towards the border of the
ribs, three inches wide and about five
inches long,] From the wounds In the alb
domen alone think death would have re-
suited. From the wounds on the head and
general appearance l Judge death would
have followed. think the wounds must
have been caused by board or plank or
some heavy instrument From all indica-
lions think the girl was dead before her
body entered the water l saw the we'll
wherein the body was found. The water
was eight feet below the surface. 1t was
walled with stone. looked into the well
with lantern to see If any of the points of
stone contained hair or other evidence of
her contact with them, and found nothing.
IA pair Of hedge shears were introduced,
and handed witness. brought them
here. They came Into my possession the
18th or 18th OF June. Policeman Mcguire
or perhaps some other handed them to me.
Gross Eramined.-A blow with such
shears would cut the head right open.
don't think the blow was struck with
shears, but q board or plank told the
jury to turn the body to the light, as |
feared tramps had outraged. and murdered
this girl, and the evidence would be here,
and for them to watch close as examined.
! found no evidence whatever of criminal
assault The cOngestive appearance Of the
parts was caused after the recovery Of the
body from the we'll by an examination
made by one Of the doctors. Decomposl.
tion will set In sooner In warm weather
than In cold. According to the authorities,
after life has become extinct, decay com.
mences at once, but Is not susceptible to
the eye II begins first In the bowels and
internal viscera. In warm water dead bod.
les turn black In few hours, and the de-
cay is very rapid after drowned persons
have been exposed to the air. l have known
persons drowned to float Immediately, and
others In Ice water to remain seven or eight
or nine days before floating. 1t depends
upon the condition of the body, and the
generation of gas In the stomach &c The
wound on the skull, think, would produce
instant insensibility. The verdict of the
coroner's jury was handed witness and
identified. The verdict reads: 1--WE, the
jury, find the body before us to be that of
Frances Kasha, and that she came to her
death by drowning In we'll In an unoccu-
pied building, on Eigth street, in the city
of La Sale. The means or cause that
brought said Frances Kasha into said we'll
Is to this jury mystery."l
Here the prosecution rested.
The defense thereupon called witness
who testified, substantially, as follows:
Mrs. E. G. HEGELER (atflrmed) Live
at La Sale Know Miller. He was our
gardner. Had not seen him since he was
taken from La Sale. Remember when
this little girl was missed. l was at home.
1t was last June, 9th. Went down to Peru
In our carriage with Miss Julia Miller and
our driver. She lives with us. Returned
In the evening at o'clock. Noticed some
vines were down on the porch of my house
and wanted the gardner to fix them. They
were on the south side. The clippings fell
on the ground. We came in through south
entrance and went around and entered
kitchen. Could get into house in basement
Saw my daughter Mary on the upper steps
Passed her and went into the kitchen. l
then told some one l wanted those clip
pings renewed. may have told the garden
ner myself | cut some more clippings
from the same vines | don't remember if
saw the gardner after that Went on the
south porch after supper, at 8 o'clock In
the evening. had to go away on the street
cars; passed that place and saw that the
clippings had been removed. Went out
upon the south porch about Z o'clock; re-
turned about II that evening, had an
impression that Miller was under the porch
when left that evening at work. was In
the garden on Friday morning and around
there till noon. The garden Is north of the
house. | was among the rose bushes in
the northern part. My youngest daughter
and Miller, the gardner, we're with me.
My daughter was getting ready to 60 to
school. 1t was a quarter to nine in the morn
Ing. She came to see me. We,-she, Miller
and went to the east side of the garden
There were some trees there l wanted re-
moved. l showed them to him. They
were removed afterwards; can't say how
soon. l put out some plants that
morning Got them near the green
house. Think / had assistance. If /
had 1t was Mr.. Miller. 1 was also in the
north part Of the garden that forenoon;
don't know who assisted me. Don't re-
member where Miller was all the time. A
pine tree was removed and an oleander put
in place of 1t. The oleanders were behind
the hot house, l think, but am not quite
sure. think We transplanted verbenas
that morning. Some grew behind the hot
house and some near the platform east of
the house. Don't know where Miller got
them. We had geranium beds north of
the green house, also on the east end. A
monkey and black cat are kept in cage
In the green house. They are cared for by
the gardener Miller. 1t sat out day times,